Misconstrue
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: When Sasuke returns to Konoha, everyone is happy. Everyone except the Kazekage, who believes the Uchiha is out to steal his woman. And so, the fight for the Cherry Blossom begins. -Rated for Sexual Content-
1. Commander General

**Misconstrue**

_Chapter One_

-Commander General-

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck wearily as ninja continued to pour into the medical unit. The war with Madara, who had in fact turned out to be some weirdo pretending to be Madara, and Kabuto, was finally over. She hadn't heard much about what had happened out on the field, but the news of their enemies' defeat at the hands of the Kages had travelled fast. She was thankful that it was finally done with, because after all this was over, she just wanted to go home and take a nice, long bath, before passing out until further notice.

She smiled at her thoughts, entering the main tent where Tsunade was currently speaking to Shizune about how to handle the incoming soldiers. "Shishou!" her smile widened. "You're back!"

"Sakura." Tsunade glanced over at her and smiled slightly. "I see you managed to keep everything under control and running here. Good job."

"Thanks Shishou." The pink haired medic said. "Are you in need of healing? I know you must have used up a lot of chakra fighting Madara, and-"

Tsunade lifted a hand, cutting her off. "I am fine Sakura, do not worry. Others need you to tend to them though." She said. "In fact, I believe you already have someone waiting on you in your medical tent."

Sakura blinked. Someone had been sent to her tent already? And without her in it? "Who?"

"The Commander General." The blonde smirked.

This news made her mouth drop open in shock. Gaara was her first patient? Everyone knew the current Kazekage hated to be kept waiting, and after fighting as hard as he had been since the start of the war, he was bound to be even crankier than he usually was. Not exactly what she wanted to deal with at this point in time. "Well why didn't you tell me sooner Shishou?! He's probably annoyed with me now!" she shouted, rushing out of the tent and back towards her own. When she reached it, she stopped outside and took a deep breath, fixing her short ponytail.

Once she had collected herself, she entered the tent, her emerald gaze shooting over to the redhead waiting for her on the examination table. He was dressed in his battle attire, which consisted of a pair of black pants and a long sleeved maroon shirt. Over it he had on a beige vest that buckled up the front, with two shoulder pads on it. He had taken off his gourd and set it to the side, propping it against one of the legs of the table.

She gave him an apologetic smile when his jade gaze slid over to her. Just play it cool Haruno, she told herself. "Sorry I made you wait Kazekage-sama." Her brow furrowed. "Or do I call you Commander General?" she asked, laughing slightly as she stopped next to him and placed her hands on her hips. "You have so many titles now."

"Gaara is fine." He said simply, keeping his gaze on her.

"Right. Gaara." She nodded, blushing lightly in embarrassment. God she sounded so stupid right now, even to herself. "Well I'm here to give you your physical." She walked over to the small cabinet she had been given and picked up a clipboard and an empty chart. Grabbing a pen, she began to fill it in so that they could add it to Gaara's file back in Konoha. "Before we begin, are there any injuries, sores, or anything of the like that you received in battle that I need to be aware about?" she glanced up at him, halting in her writing.

"No."

Sakura nodded, returning her gaze to the chart and filling that in. "And how are your chakra levels?" When she looked back up she met his gaze, and realized he was just staring at her. Most people looked around the room or at the ground when being asked medical questions, and very few actually looked at her when she spoke to them. But Gaara's gaze was different. She had no idea what was going on in that head of his, and none of it even peeked out through his jade depths to give her a hint.

"Fine." He said simply, though it was short it was surprisingly not clipped.

"Would you say you're above or below fifty percent?" she asked.

He appeared confused for a moment, but it vanished as soon as it had shown on his face. "I don't understand what you're asking."

"In chakra levels." She blinked. "I just need a rough estimate on how close to exhaustion your body is. And don't give me some stupid macho answer about how you're 'fine and can keep going'." She pointed her pencil at him threateningly. "Be honest."

"But I am fine and I can keep going." Gaara said softly. "Is that the wrong answer? I've never had a physical done before…so I really don't know."

Sakura gave him an odd look, before smiling. "No." she replied, returning her attention to the chart. "Now I'm going to have to examine your vitals, so go ahead and remove your upper clothing." She instructed, filling in the rest of the chart.

"You mean take off my shirt?" he clarified, just making sure he didn't do anything unnecessary. When Sakura nodded he started to unbuckle his vest and once that was off, his shirt soon followed.

When she finished she set the chart and looked back at him, freezing momentarily when she was met with the sight of his toned abdomen. For a primarily long ranged fighter, Sakura had to admit that Gaara was one of the fittest men she had ever seen. Snapping herself back to focus, she walked over to him. "Just relax as I run a few scans." She told him, reaching out slowly and placing her fingers on his forehead and her thumbs on his cheekbones so that she could check his head for any injuries he may not have known about. She tried to keep her focus, but he was just staring at her, and they were so close now that it was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

"Open your mouth." Sakura instructed, taking a small flashlight from her pouch and shining it inside the wet cavern, checking his tonsils. Seeing that they were fine, she moved the light to his eyes, and without her having to say anything, Gaara closed his mouth. Flashing the light in each eye, she noted that the natural reactions of his pupils were good. "Now follow the light." She said, moving it from side to side, and then up and down. He did so, and she nodded. "Good." she clicked the light off and put it back in her pouch.

Now came the more personal part, she thought with a small sigh. She hoped he didn't kill her for this or anything. Not wanting to psych herself out, or make him think anything was wrong, she placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart, before letting her palm glow a soft green. "Relax." She reminded him, since she'd felt him stiffen slightly at the contact.

"What are you doing…?" he asked, trying to remain as calm as possible, since he'd not been ready for this. He had to do his best though, after all he doubted Naruto's friend or the head medic would try anything to harm him. But she was just touching him, and the thing was her hand was warm and tender as she moved it around. He glanced back up at her, since his attention had been diverted for a spilt-second, and felt something he assumed was a shiver go up his spine.

Sakura gave him a reassuring smile, meeting his gaze. "I'm checking all of your vital organs to make sure you didn't stress them out in battle, or were not affected by any potential toxins in the air or something you came in contact with." She explained, returning her gaze to his chest. "Your heart is incredibly healthy though, so I doubt anything bad happened. But I still need to check." She slid her hand over to his left lung, marveling at how hard and firm his muscles were.

He nodded. "Alright." he said, still watching her closely as she worked. "So…how did you fare?"

"Not too bad." She said, checking the other lung. "We were infiltrated by one of the white Zetsus, who had disguised himself as Neji and was going around killing people. But I found him out and killed him." she told him, glancing up at him before moving her hand lower to his kidneys. "That was pretty much the most exciting thing that happened, other than that glowing clone of Naruto's." she shook her head, a small smile coming to her face. "He always has to be so flashy." She chuckled.

"Annoying is what he is." The redhead huffed, actually portraying some sort of emotion. "He does some grandstand show up and then does nothing, thinking I needed help from him with Madara. I know he means well, but sometimes that fox just perplexes me."

Sakura laughed. "He's always trying to fix everything himself, when half the time he makes it worse." She agreed, checking his liver. Then she moved over to his side and began to feel each of his ribs, making sure there wasn't a break or fracture in any of them. "You're not ticklish, are you?" she glanced up at him.

"Not that I am aware." He shrugged.

She returned her gaze to his side, pressing against each rib as she worked her way up. "Hold your arm out to your side please." She said, checking the rest once he did so. She went over his other side, before straightening. Taking his hand in both of hers, she held it gently as she reached up to grab the pencil she'd placed behind her ear. "Now I'm just going to check your reflexes, so try to keep yourself relaxed, and don't force anything."

"Uh…okay?" he frowned, looking a bit worried.

Taking the pencil, she turned his hand so that his palm was facing up, before poking the tips of his fingers with the lead. Each one flinched, which pleased Sakura. Then she took his other hand and did the same thing, with similar results. Once that was done she tucked the pencil back behind her ear before pulling out what appeared to be a small hammer. Before Gaara could ask what it was for, she hit his knee with it twice, making the appendage kick out automatically. She did the same thing to his other leg, before putting the instrument away. "Don't worry, we're almost done." She told him, walking over and picking up a stethoscope.

"I really hate this." Gaara grumbled out, almost looking as if he were pouting. "How do people get these things annually?"

"Well I don't know how it works in Suna, but Tsunade-shishou makes all of our nin get one, otherwise she takes them off the mission roster." Sakura shrugged, making her way back over to him. She exhaled on the end of the stethoscope, before placing it over his heart, and putting her free hand on his shoulder. "Now inhale slowly, and exhale quickly."

He did as she commanded, his gaze lowering slightly. "This is the first I've ever had…"

She glanced up at him. "I'm not surprised. I imagine most would never even think to tell you to get an examination. Especially when you were younger." She said, moving the stethoscope. "Breathe in and out again." She instructed.

Once she finished with his front, she moved and leaned over him slightly, checking his back. Placing the stethoscope around her neck, she stepped back smiled. "Well we're all done here. So unless you have any questions or wanted me to check for anything, you can put your shirt back on and go."

"Alright." he nodded, standing despite the fact she was right in front of him, so they were almost touching. "Thanks Sakura…I know this must have been…" he paused, searching for the right word. "Awkward."

Sakura smiled, trying not to blush from their proximity. "Well it wouldn't have been as awkward if you weren't staring at me so intensely the whole time." She admitted, scratching her cheek.

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable." He sighed, looking off.

She shook her head. "No, no, don't worry about it." she assured him. "It's just that most people look away, or over my shoulder…I'm not used to being watched is all. But this was your first physical, so I understand."

"Understand what?" he arched what could be a brow, staring her down once more.

She blinked, appearing nervous as she tried to lean away from him. He was just so close to her, and her gaze kept wanting to drift down to his yummy abdomen. "Um…your…curiosity?" she asked, obviously unsure. "Or maybe the right word is apprehension…"

"That was not why I was watching you." he replied simply, placing a hand on his hip. "When I was little people would be too afraid to look at me, so I try to look at people all the time whilst they are speaking to me. That and you have very pretty eyes, and I like your hair."

Sakura's eyes widened, and a powder pink blush dusted across her cheeks. "You do?" she asked. "I mean…thank you." She smiled slightly.

"You're welcome." He smirked, though it looked more like a devilish grin. "Your cheeks are matching your hair." he pointed out.

Her blush darkened. "I'll have to take your word for that." She said softly. "I haven't seen myself in a mirror since the day I left Konoha to come here."

"Well don't worry, you look good." he waved off the matter. "I know you women are a bit preoccupied with you looks. Especially that Mizukage…" he sighed. "Such a vain woman."

She nodded, though she'd never met the Mizukage herself, so she couldn't judge. "I think each of the Kages has their own little quirks." She commented, still blushing from his compliment.

"Oh?" he blinked, seeming interested. "What is mine?"

Her mind went blank at being put on the spot. "Um…well…speaking from what I know about you…you don't really like to be touched. It's not really as noticeable as everyone else's oddities…because let's face it, you give off an aura of 'don't touch me, I hate you all', and you can be very intimidating, whether you're trying to be or not." she told him.

His somewhat light expression fell. "Hm…I see."

She frowned. "I've offended you." she said, seeming upset by it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"You didn't offend me, I just-" his eyes widened suddenly as he looked up, both of them sensing something. Gaara jumped forward, tackling Sakura to the ground as his hand rose and his sand swarmed around them, creating a dense dome. "Are you okay?" he asked, though they were now in the dark.

Sakura nodded. "Yes." She whispered, for what reason she didn't know. She hoped he couldn't feel the heat coming off her face from their close proximity, because she was probably as red as a tomato based on the feeling of having him on top of her, their forms so close together. "I wonder what that was."

"I don't know. But I intend to find out." he growled, getting off of her as the sand around them dispersed and revealed what seemed to have been an exploding tag. Everyone was scrambling around in mass chaos, trying to find the source. Gaara helped Sakura up and kept a hand on the small of her back as he looked around vigilantly.

She was still blushing she was sure, but she scanned the area as well, keeping close to the redhead. He had just saved her life, after all. Suddenly another barrage of kunai flew at them from the nearby forest, or what was left of it, anyways. Sakura quickly grabbed a kunai from her pouch to block them, though it wasn't necessary, since Gaara's sand kept them covered. When the grains lowered once more it was to reveal a white Zetsu running out from the trees, probably trying to kill as many of them as it could before being taken care of.

Gaara sighed, taking his hand from Sakura's lower back. "I really hate these guys." He growled out, stepping forward with a few quick hand signs. His sand swirled around him and shot forward, hardening into a massive spike that impaled the creature right in the heart, skewering him against a tree.

"They're about as persistent as Naruto." The pink haired woman chuckled, dropping the kunai back in the pouch around her waist.

"Scout the area!" Gaara commanded, looking all the leader he was, just shirtless. The ninja around them scrambled to secure the perimeter. "Inform the other Kages and make sure there are no more left!"

Sakura walked over and picked up Gaara's discarded shirt, which now had dirt on it from the explosion. She tried to shake it out as best she could as she walked back over to him. "Here." She said, offering him the garment and getting one last look at his chest, since she figured it would be covered up soon.

He sighed and faced her once more, looking down at his shirt. He took it from her hand and frowned, grabbing her wrist so he could see her palm better. "You're hurt…" he said as if it were all his fault. "I'm sorry I wasn't faster…or more gentle." He pulled away, as if not being near her would make it less his fault.

She blinked and looked down at her palm. "Oh." She said, letting it glow green to heal itself as she returned her gaze to him. "It's okay Gaara, I've had worse." She smiled. "Besides, you saved my life, twice. So thank you."

"I should have done a better job." He sighed, looking off.

Rolling her eyes slightly, she stepped forward and moved so that she was in front of him. "Gaara, nobody's perfect. It was just a few scratches, nothing big. I wasn't even bleeding. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." She smiled. "Besides, I could just as easily be blamed for not landing in a better way when we hit the ground. But I was distracted, and so didn't react accordingly."

"Distracted?" he blinked, actually looking surprised. "By what?"

Her eyes widened and she blushed. "Nothing!" she squeaked, taking a step back and glancing at his chest. "Um…" she looked at his abdomen once more, before returning her gaze to his. "I really should see if anyone needs healing…" Her eyes began to wander down his front, and when she caught herself her cheeks darkened as her attention snapped back to his face.

Gaara gave her a puzzled look before he scratched his head in contemplation. "You were distracted by…me?"

"You're just so…chiseled. It caught me off guard." She admitted, before turning a light red. "Oh my God, I sound so unprofessional." She hid her face in her hands then, ashamed at how fan-girly she sounded. And she'd vowed never to be a fan girl ever again.

He glanced down at his body and then back up at her, though he still seemed confused. Finally, it seemed a light bulb went off in his head. "Oh! You think I'm hot." He chuckled.

She just nodded, still too embarrassed to look up at him. "Sakura it's okay." Gaara almost smiled, _almost_. "I think you're pretty too."

The pink haired woman peeked at him. "Really?" she asked, uncovering her face when he nodded. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better are you?"

"Do I really look like the type of person to say something just to make someone feel better?" the redhead asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he gave her a look.

She shook her head, a small smile coming to her face. "Not really, no."

"So there you go." He gestured with his hands as he smirked. "Besides, you're Naruto's friend after all, and I would like to become your friend as well. And friends are nice to one another, right?"

"Right." she smiled fully. "So since you want to become friends…do you want to sit with us tonight for dinner?" she asked him, seeming unsure. "It's just, I noticed you only sit with Temari and Kankuro, and I can imagine your siblings get a little annoying after a while. Plus you can tell me more about the battle."

Gaara seemed slightly taken back. "Really?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course! I'll even save you a seat so you don't have to be by someone you don't know or like." She giggled.

"Which is almost everyone." He said with a small smile.

Her laughter increased, and she blushed at seeing him with such a light expression on his face. He was very handsome, now that she was taking the time to notice. Especially when he smiled. "Then I guess it'll just be the two of us off by ourselves. We'll have to hide so Naruto doesn't find us." She winked conspiratorially.

"I concur. A dangerous mission indeed." He snickered, finally pulling his shirt on. Once it was back in place, he found his vest and buckled it back on before summoning his sand to form into the gourd on his back.

"It's a date then." Sakura said before she could stop herself. Well it was kind of like a date. They'd be having dinner together all alone…with nobody else around. What else did you call something like that?

Gaara blinked, a tiny hint of red coming to his cheeks. It was so light, it almost went unnoticed. Almost. "A date…?" he asked, his voice small, like nothing Sakura's had ever heard from the hard redhead before.

She nodded a bit sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back. "Um…yeah. If you want."

"I've never been on…one of those before…" he looked off with a sigh. "I've actually not really interacted with anyone besides Naruto before…"

Sakura looked at the ground, before returning her gaze to him. In a bold move, she stepped forward and took his hand in hers, getting his attention. "Well now you've interacted with someone besides Naruto." She smiled. "And will again tonight at dinner, when you have your first ever date. I'll even put on my best uniform." She joked, since they were all the standard jounin ones, and didn't flatter her figure at all.

"And I will not wear a shirt." He nodded.

"What?" she blinked. "But…but then I won't be able to concentrate."

"Isn't that the point?" Gaara replied, seeming as confused as ever. "I must not understand this whole dating thing very well." He mused.

She smirked. "Not really. Why don't you just wear your normal clothes? Because if you show up without a shirt on, not only will you be attacked by mosquitoes, but I'm going to want to stroke your abs, and I don't think I can resist such an urge for long."

"That's kinda weird." He shrugged, "Alright. I will keep my clothes on while we enjoy dinner. I promise." He chuckled, starting to walk off. "See you later tonight then Sakura. I have to go check in with the other Kages about this incident." He waved, disappearing in a swirl of sand.

Sakura smiled, turning to go and see if anyone needed tending to. She was excited for tonight. She actually had a date with Sabaku no Gaara. Ino was never going to believe this. Giggling, she ran off to go tell her friend of this news, feeling like a teenage girl for the first time in a long time.


	2. Return of the Avenger

**Misconstrue**

_Chapter Two_

-Return of the Avenger-

_**Nine months later…**_

Sakura let out a sigh as she stared out the window of her tiny office at the hospital. The day had been relatively slow, which she supposed was good considering her line of work, but she was so bored. So, she decided to do what she always did when she had a spare moment, and that was thinking about Gaara.

Ever since that night at base camp when they'd shared dinner, he was always on her mind, or not far from it. They'd found that they enjoyed one another's company, and had continued to eat their meals together when they had a chance. When the time came for everyone to pack up and go home, he'd traveled most of the way back with her, before he had to start heading towards Suna. After that it wasn't long until she saw him again, since she'd been sent to Suna to check their medical supplies and see what Konoha could spare for them, and vice versa. During that mission she had stayed with him in the Kazekage Mansion at his request. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't weird for either of them. It was impossible for them to not grow even closer, and by the time she left to return to Konoha, she had herself an official boyfriend in the stoic redhead.

It was odd, calling him her boyfriend. Whenever she talked to people, she never said that that was what Gaara was, just that they were dating, or they were together. He just didn't seem like the type of person one said was their boyfriend. Lover would be a more accurate term now, she thought, blushing slightly. Not too long into their relationship they'd gotten a little physical, and it was then they discovered that their attraction for one another knew no bounds. The next morning Sakura awoke in Gaara's bed, with him staring at her like he usually did, and all she did was smile at him. And when he returned it, ever so slightly, she knew that things between them were serious, and would never be the same.

Not that she minded. She loved spending time with him, and always looked forward to his visits, or when she could visit Suna. Of course, they were both incredibly busy with their work, so the times they could see one another were few and far between. But each time she saw him, it was if they'd never been apart. Sakura absolutely loved the feeling of anticipation that came with her longing, and enjoyed even more the moment she first got to lay eyes on him after being separated. The flutter in her stomach, and her heart, were something she'd become accustomed to, and she couldn't help but wonder if Gaara ever felt that when he saw her.

She sighed, a dreamy smile on her face. She would never say it aloud, but she was thankful for the war. Without it, she never would have thought of dating Gaara. In fact, the thought would have never entered her mind. In a way, it had brought them, and so many other couples, together.

Naruto had finally told Hinata that he returned her feelings, and the two were already engaged to be married. Ino and Kiba had begun a very…physical relationship during the war, since they didn't know how much longer they'd be alive, and it had grown into something more substantial. There was even talk of them moving in together sometime soon, though if it were true Ino would have told her. Even Neji had begun to date Tenten, though he tried to play the whole thing off as him waiting for the right time to ask her out. Sakura rolled her eyes at that. The only ones who hadn't hooked up were Shikamaru and Temari. She was pretty sure they'd slept together on numerous occasions, but they were both so stubborn they denied what everyone else obviously saw between them. Though the pink haired medic was sure with hers and Gaara's frequent visits to one another, the stubborn couple would finally cave and admit their true feelings.

Sakura was snapped out of her musings when she heard a commotion coming from outside. She straightened and tried to get a look at what it could be, but saw nothing other than a bunch of villagers heading towards the main gate. Growing worried that it might be someone in need of healing, she stood from her chair and bolted out the door, telling one of the nurse practitioners that she would be back as soon as possible.

She leapt onto the roof of a nearby building and bounded off, not wanting to have to fight her way through the crowd. Nearing the gates, she frowned when she spotted the group of Anbu that had gathered, keeping the villagers at bay. That was when she heard Naruto's loud, obnoxious voice, and from what she could tell, he was spewing on about how everything was right in the world once again. She smirked. Maybe he'd finally realized he was a lunatic, she thought, landing just outside the circle of Black Ops. Her brow furrowed when they parted for her without a word, before a shocked look came to her face.

Standing there next to Naruto, looking just as stoic and uncaring as he always did, was Sasuke. It was obvious that he was humoring Naruto by not saying a derogatory remark like he usually did, but what Sakura couldn't figure out was why he was here. She slowly took a step forward, freezing when the Uchiha's ebony gaze was on her. Sensing the change in the atmosphere, Naruto halted in his ramblings, turning to see what had taken his friend's attention away from him. He smiled brightly. "Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed. "Look! Sasuke's back! He came back to us! Isn't that great?!"

Her expression grew slightly skeptical. Honestly, after everything the raven haired man had put her through, she didn't really think it was such a great idea. He just wasn't good for anyone in any way, and had proved that time and again. "Um…Naruto, we need to take him to see Tsunade-sama." She said, her emerald gaze shifting to the blonde. "He's making everyone uncomfortable." She pointed out.

Naruto looked around, finally seeming to notice the apprehensive looks the villagers, and even a few other ninja, were giving him. He nodded. "Alright, come on teme! Tsunade-baa-san will know just what to do with you." he smiled reassuringly.

Sasuke didn't say anything, merely following after his ex-teammates as they made their way towards the Hokage Tower, the group of Anbu still surrounding them. Sakura could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head, but she refused to turn around and acknowledge him. When they made it to Tsunade's office, she was already waiting for them. "Uchiha Sasuke." The blonde woman said seriously. "You and I have many things to discuss."

"Yes, we do." Sasuke said, speaking up for the first time. Sakura noted that his voice didn't have that psychotic note to it anymore, but she didn't let that get her hopes up. Sasuke was an excellent liar, after all.

"Baa-san, please don't be too hard on the teme! I know he really meant it when he said-" Naruto began, only to be cut off.

"Naruto, Sakura, leave us." She ordered.

Sakura nodded, grabbing Naruto by the collar and dragging him out without a second look back. "Sakura-chan, wait! I have more things to say!" he protested, though he was no match for her strength. The doors to Tsunade's office closed behind them, and she sighed.

"Naruto, let Shishou talk to him. I'm sure whatever sentence she comes up with will be fair, okay?" the pink haired kunoichi said.

The jinchuuriki crossed his arms in a pout. "I didn't even get to punch him in the face for being such an asshole." He grumbled.

She rolled her eyes, a small smile coming to her face. "I'm sure you'll get to eventually Naruto, just be patient." She began to walk off then. "I'm going back to the hospital. I have work to do."

Naruto blinked. "You mean you're not going to stay to see what's going to happen to Sasuke?"

"Honestly," she sighed, looking back at him. "I don't care. Whatever happens to him he deserves. And besides, I have more important things to take do than worry about someone who tossed us aside for power."

He frowned. "But Sakura-chan…he's our teammate…our brother."

She shook her head. "He may be all those things to you…but to me, he will be nothing more than a memory I would rather forget." she replied, leaving down the stairs before he could say anything more to make the slight guilt inside of her grow.

She wanted nothing to do with Uchiha Sasuke anymore. Every time she gave him a chance and reached out to him he shoved it back in her face. And after everything he did to her friends, to Naruto, and to the village, he deserved nothing more than her contempt.

She returned to work, finishing out her day as best she could. Just as her shift was ending, she was called to Tsunade's office, and as she made her way back to the Tower, she hoped that Sasuke wasn't there any longer. A sigh of relief left her when she opened the doors and found only her blonde mentor present in the room. "You wanted to see me Shishou?" she asked, closing the door behind her before walking over to the blonde's desk.

Tsunade sighed. "I felt you would like to know what we have decided to do with Sasuke." When she didn't get a response, or even a reaction, the Hokage continued. "His chakra will be sealed for an indefinite amount of time, until I and the Elders decide he is trustworthy enough to have it removed. Nor will he be allowed to go on any missions. He is still a genin by all rights, and until we believe he really wants to dedicate himself to the village once again, he will not be allowed to take the Chuunin Exams. And for the time being, Kakashi will be acting as his guardian and letting him stay at his apartment until we can have his old place in the Uchiha District refurbished."

Sakura nodded. "Okay…what does that have to do with me Shishou?"

"Sakura…I know you've been through a lot concerning the Uchiha…but I want you to think about giving him another chance. He's in a very delicate place right now, and I think if you and Naruto are there for him it will make the transition easier." She explained.

The pink haired woman frowned. "But Shishou, I don't-"

"We want this to work out Sakura." Tsunade interrupted. "The Uchiha Clan has been a major part of Konoha since it was founded, and we want it to stay that way. It's going to take some time, but I think with your help he will be okay."

She let out a sigh. "I understand Shishou, but that doesn't mean I have to shove it all aside and pretend nothing ever happened. You can't just make someone forget having their heart ripped out and stomped on while a knife was shoved in their back." She said harshly, turning on her heel and walking towards the door.

"Sakura-" Tsunade began, but the younger kunoichi had already stomped out of her office, slamming the door behind her.

Sakura continued to storm out of the Hokage Tower, nearly colliding with someone as she rounded a corner to go down the stairs. Stumbling back, she was caught by strong hands. Her eyes widened in alarm when she looked up and met Sasuke's gaze, before they narrowed and she broke from his hold. "Don't touch me." she said, glaring up at him. It was then she saw Kakashi not but a few steps away, leaning against the wall and reading his usual orange book. By the looks of it, they had been waiting for her.

The Uchiha frowned slightly. "Sakura, I was hoping we could talk."

"Well I don't want to talk to you, so if you would please move," she said, trying to step to the side to go around him, only to have him block her.

"Please…I've thought about what I wanted to say to you for a while now, and I'd really like to get it out if you don't mind."

"Hear him out Sakura." Kakashi instructed, not even sparing her a glance as he turned the page.

She crossed her arms, giving her old teacher a glare before returning her emerald gaze to the ebony haired man in front of her. "Fine. If you think it will clear your conscience, go right ahead." She gestured for him to speak.

Sasuke nodded. "I'm sorry." He said. "There's nothing I can really say to excuse what I did and said to you…I was in a very dark place, for a long time, and I lost sight of who I really was. But…when I came to the battleground and found Itachi, fought _with_ him instead of _against_ him…I found part of myself again. And I realized that if I sucked up my pride and came back, came _home_, I could find the rest…hopefully with some help from Team Seven." He tried to smile.

"Well Team Seven doesn't exist anymore, you made sure of that." the pink haired medic snapped, using her repressed anger at him to keep herself from caving to his attempt at getting her to forgive him. Because he was doing a pretty good job.

Kakashi glanced over. "Sakura." He reprimanded slightly, only getting a scoff from the younger woman.

"You have every right to be mad at me Sakura, I understand that what I did was unforgivable." Sasuke told her. "And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, or even your help in getting better," he sighed. "But everyone deserves a second chance, right? That's all I'm asking for. A second chance to be the man my brother wished for me to be, and to get to know all of my old friends that I left behind."

Sakura frowned and looked off. Stupid Sasuke and his words that kinda made sense and tugged at her heartstrings. How was she supposed to say no to him now that he'd taken such a big leap? Especially because that was the most she'd ever heard him say without mentioning revenge, or killing Naruto, or destroying the Leaf Village. Not to mention he looked so vulnerable right now, and she had a weakness for strong, silent men who suddenly showed a bit of vulnerability. Curse you Gaara.

She looked back at him, searching his gaze before sighing, her arms dropping back to her sides. "Fine." She said. "I'll give you a second chance. But that doesn't mean I have to like you right away, nor do I want to hang out with you all the time like we're best buds." She clarified, raising a finger. "A situation like this requires baby steps."

"He'll take the deal." Kakashi said, snapping his book shut and straightening, before walking over to them.

Sasuke nodded, smiling slightly. "Right, I understand, of course." He said. "Thanks Sakura, for giving me another chance. I promise I'll try not to screw things up this time."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved it off, trying to act like this wasn't a big deal for her too.

Kakashi placed his hand on the ex-avenger's shoulder. "Come Sasuke. We need to get you sealed, and Sakura probably has work to do." He winked at her, knowing that she would want some time alone after this.

Sakura smiled slightly, grateful to the grey haired man's intuition. "I do, actually."

"Okay." Sasuke nodded. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around." She said softly, before the pair disappeared in a puff of smoke. Letting out a tired sigh, Sakura made her way down the stairs, intent on going home.

She hoped this didn't blow up in her face. Maybe Sasuke really meant what he said, about wanting to be different. For Naruto's sake, she hoped that he did. The blonde fox tried to act tough all the time, but she didn't think he would be able to make it through another betrayal from someone he considered to be his brother. But, there was no telling how things would end up. All Sakura knew for certain was that things in Konoha would never be the same ever again, no matter which way things wound up.


End file.
